I’m new to houseplants. I have tried multiple times with ...
I’m new to houseplants. I have tried multiple times with succulents and they always slowly (leaf by leaf) die on me. I used a cactus mix and planted 6 in a planter all together. I always assumed I was overwatering (I dote on them too much my mom said I need to just leave them alone) but this is what I’m seeing. The bottom leaves just fall off. Some are mushy, some look like they’re withering. I use a mist bottle. Can anyone see what I’m doing wrong by the pics? The ones doing bad are the string of buttons and the golden sedum… help!!!
Last watered 6 hours ago
3
Hard to say but it could be that they’re not receiving enough sunlight & are getting too much water? Where are they located? I have a planter with 5 succulents in it & I’ve never been able to keep them alive before but now I leave the planter outside in the afternoons and bring it inside in the evening, water it about once a week & all but 1 are thriving. I water when the soil is bone dry. The pot itself is about 6 inches long and maybe 2 inches deep with soil. How deep is your container?
The main issue is that the pot is too large for the plants. Succulents have very shallow roots systems, so it a pot this big there will be way too much excess damp soil after watering. When succulents sit in damp soil, they rot. Another issue is the type of pot. Glazed clay pots with thick walls are notorious for preventing the soil from fully drying out. Succulents like to be quite snug in their pots, and the ideal pot type is terracotta. That's because it's porous and allows more airflow to the soil, which helps it dry out faster. Insufficient light will also contribute to overwatering and rot issues, since light helps the soil dry out. Your succulents need to be getting at least 4-6 hours of DIRECT sun a day. When they're kept indoors, they should be right up against the glass of a west or south-facing window. Lack of light will not only prevent the soil from drying out, it also causes succulents to lose their pretty coloring and revert to all green. They'll also grow very leggy and elongated because the plant is literally reaching toward more light. When you repot them, try to leave some space between the lowest set of leaves and the surface of the soil. The bottom leaves are rotting because they're sitting right on top of the soil.
You don't mist succulents like you do other plant like pothos. I get on my hubby about that all time when I catch him outside misting my cactus 🌵.